Status: Completed; finally.
Shooting Love in Real Time.
Nineteen.
“They finally found me,” I snickered, showing my phone to Marissa. In the last week, my followers on Twitter had increased by over a thousand; in the last day, they’d increased by another five thousand and I was having video and picture links mentioned to me.
“Jack found a picture of our flyer and tweeted it out days ago,” Marissa shrugged. “’Hey, look it’s us!’” she mimicked. “It’s been non-stop ever since. I miss a peaceful phone.”
“It’ll die down,” I laughed. We were laid about in my living room, watching films and discussing our plans for the next couple of weeks. School was over until January and Marissa had been all filled in by Jack and I about what had happened with James. Just as Jack had told me to expect, she cooled off pretty quickly but she’d still called James and given him an earful over it. Apparently he only picked up to try and feign innocence. Thankfully, we’d shown her the video as proof. Gotta love social media.
I’d left Jack’s house that day long after Alex, who had ended up so pissed at me he’d stormed out and didn’t come back until late that night, which I only knew because Marissa text me at about 11 asking if Alex was over here with me, but he’d been there in the morning when I went to talk to her. He didn’t try to speaking to me that day.
It was currently the 14th of December and Alex and I were speaking enough that he’d invited me out for his birthday. The guys were all going out for a meal and then drinks in Baltimore and now I was invited. I’d ordered his birthday present months ago, and it’d been sat in the cupboard upstairs waiting for this week to come. He’d been eyeing up a new guitar over the summer and never gotten around to buying it, so I bought it for him. I’d been in the habit of buying him big gifts ever since we’d gotten back together, slowly making up the gifts we’d missed over the years. Granted, I’d had no idea what to get him for Christmas, but at least I had this one sorted.
“What time is Alex due back from his parents’ house?” I asked, thinking I’d best take his present over to him and hide it in with the rest of his gifts.
“Not for another couple of hours,” Marissa replied.
“Right, well, it’s nearly 2 now and we’re due in town at 6, so I’m gonna grab a shower and meet you at yours in about half an hour?”
It wasn’t long before I was over at Jack’s, new guitar in hand, storing it in the corner of the living room while she and I got ready upstairs.
“He’s going to know that’s from you the moment he walks in,” Jack stated, standing in the doorway of his bedroom.
“He’s supposed to know it’s from me, dumbass,” I said, rolling my eyes and holding my curling tongs in place. “I bought it months ago when he was eyeing it up in Cali.”
“He’s gonna freak.”
“I know,” I grinned. That’s the reason I had bought it in the first place, knowing how much he’d loved it and wanting to get him something he’d really appreciate. Yeah, he had plenty of guitars, but it seemed like something he would really like. “I’m so excited to see his face.”
“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Jack asked, moving further into the room and sitting down on the bed.
“What do you mean?” I was only half paying attention, focusing most of my concentration on not burning my fingers.
“I mean, you’re acting like he’s still your boyfriend, bringing him these big gifts for his birthday, telling him you miss him, then you just completely rejecting him every time he tries to reach out.” Marissa shot Jack a warning look.
“What he means is you’re giving him a couple of mixed signals and then you guys end up arguing when he picks up on the ones he likes,” Marissa told him. “We just don’t want any arguments tonight.”
“And neither do I. I’m not going to waste a present I picked out for him months ago, I’m just going to be perfectly civil and help him enjoy his birthday.”
“Just don’t be, you know, too civil.” I laughed at them, assuring them I would try and keep things in hand.
“Happy birthday!” I cried, coming down the stairs at 5pm, ready to shoot off with the guys. Alex had returned a little while ago, though I’d been too busy getting ready with Marissa to go and see him. Plus, you know, I’m not allowed to be too civil.
“Jasey, hey! Thanks for coming,” he smiled, pulling me into a brief hug, before letting go and turning back to the guys. My stomach dropped a little at the brush off, but I held myself together. This is what normal exes do, right? Not that I would know, since Alex and I had never had a normal ex-relationship. I poured Marissa and I a glass of wine each while Jack pulled out everyone’s presents. Rian and Zack were here too, meaning they’d brought their presents over too. I sat on the chair at the opposite end of the room to where Alex sat, having his presents handed to him. Jack handed the presents over one by one, and it was slow going until he got to my present. I saw him hesitate as he reached for it. Clearly his thoughts upstairs were still going through his mind.
“And this one’s from Jasey,” Jack said, pulling it out from the hiding place. Alex’s jaw dropped as he was handed the guitar with nothing but a bow covering it. I shifted uncomfortably and tried to hide further in my seat. It felt kind of wrong to give him it now that it was done and I couldn’t help but think over Jack’s words. Was I still playing the girlfriend and sending him mixed signals?
“Holly, I can’t take this,” Alex told me. The room had gone suspiciously quiet, though the guys still pretended not to be paying attention.
“I bought it months ago, Alex. I have no use for it and I can’t send it back now,” I replied, starting to wish the ground would open up and swallow me. “Besides, just because I’m not your girlfriend doesn’t mean I’m any less your friend. And, as a friend, I still have a couple of birthday gifts to make up for.” I smiled weakly, trying to make it into less of a deal that it was, pretending it didn’t mean something to me.
“We should get going, the taxi’s outside,” Rian came up to us and said. I knew he’d drawn the short straw and been made to talk to us as I watched everyone else file out without looking back. I nodded and grabbed my coat before heading to the door.
“Jack found a picture of our flyer and tweeted it out days ago,” Marissa shrugged. “’Hey, look it’s us!’” she mimicked. “It’s been non-stop ever since. I miss a peaceful phone.”
“It’ll die down,” I laughed. We were laid about in my living room, watching films and discussing our plans for the next couple of weeks. School was over until January and Marissa had been all filled in by Jack and I about what had happened with James. Just as Jack had told me to expect, she cooled off pretty quickly but she’d still called James and given him an earful over it. Apparently he only picked up to try and feign innocence. Thankfully, we’d shown her the video as proof. Gotta love social media.
I’d left Jack’s house that day long after Alex, who had ended up so pissed at me he’d stormed out and didn’t come back until late that night, which I only knew because Marissa text me at about 11 asking if Alex was over here with me, but he’d been there in the morning when I went to talk to her. He didn’t try to speaking to me that day.
It was currently the 14th of December and Alex and I were speaking enough that he’d invited me out for his birthday. The guys were all going out for a meal and then drinks in Baltimore and now I was invited. I’d ordered his birthday present months ago, and it’d been sat in the cupboard upstairs waiting for this week to come. He’d been eyeing up a new guitar over the summer and never gotten around to buying it, so I bought it for him. I’d been in the habit of buying him big gifts ever since we’d gotten back together, slowly making up the gifts we’d missed over the years. Granted, I’d had no idea what to get him for Christmas, but at least I had this one sorted.
“What time is Alex due back from his parents’ house?” I asked, thinking I’d best take his present over to him and hide it in with the rest of his gifts.
“Not for another couple of hours,” Marissa replied.
“Right, well, it’s nearly 2 now and we’re due in town at 6, so I’m gonna grab a shower and meet you at yours in about half an hour?”
It wasn’t long before I was over at Jack’s, new guitar in hand, storing it in the corner of the living room while she and I got ready upstairs.
“He’s going to know that’s from you the moment he walks in,” Jack stated, standing in the doorway of his bedroom.
“He’s supposed to know it’s from me, dumbass,” I said, rolling my eyes and holding my curling tongs in place. “I bought it months ago when he was eyeing it up in Cali.”
“He’s gonna freak.”
“I know,” I grinned. That’s the reason I had bought it in the first place, knowing how much he’d loved it and wanting to get him something he’d really appreciate. Yeah, he had plenty of guitars, but it seemed like something he would really like. “I’m so excited to see his face.”
“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Jack asked, moving further into the room and sitting down on the bed.
“What do you mean?” I was only half paying attention, focusing most of my concentration on not burning my fingers.
“I mean, you’re acting like he’s still your boyfriend, bringing him these big gifts for his birthday, telling him you miss him, then you just completely rejecting him every time he tries to reach out.” Marissa shot Jack a warning look.
“What he means is you’re giving him a couple of mixed signals and then you guys end up arguing when he picks up on the ones he likes,” Marissa told him. “We just don’t want any arguments tonight.”
“And neither do I. I’m not going to waste a present I picked out for him months ago, I’m just going to be perfectly civil and help him enjoy his birthday.”
“Just don’t be, you know, too civil.” I laughed at them, assuring them I would try and keep things in hand.
“Happy birthday!” I cried, coming down the stairs at 5pm, ready to shoot off with the guys. Alex had returned a little while ago, though I’d been too busy getting ready with Marissa to go and see him. Plus, you know, I’m not allowed to be too civil.
“Jasey, hey! Thanks for coming,” he smiled, pulling me into a brief hug, before letting go and turning back to the guys. My stomach dropped a little at the brush off, but I held myself together. This is what normal exes do, right? Not that I would know, since Alex and I had never had a normal ex-relationship. I poured Marissa and I a glass of wine each while Jack pulled out everyone’s presents. Rian and Zack were here too, meaning they’d brought their presents over too. I sat on the chair at the opposite end of the room to where Alex sat, having his presents handed to him. Jack handed the presents over one by one, and it was slow going until he got to my present. I saw him hesitate as he reached for it. Clearly his thoughts upstairs were still going through his mind.
“And this one’s from Jasey,” Jack said, pulling it out from the hiding place. Alex’s jaw dropped as he was handed the guitar with nothing but a bow covering it. I shifted uncomfortably and tried to hide further in my seat. It felt kind of wrong to give him it now that it was done and I couldn’t help but think over Jack’s words. Was I still playing the girlfriend and sending him mixed signals?
“Holly, I can’t take this,” Alex told me. The room had gone suspiciously quiet, though the guys still pretended not to be paying attention.
“I bought it months ago, Alex. I have no use for it and I can’t send it back now,” I replied, starting to wish the ground would open up and swallow me. “Besides, just because I’m not your girlfriend doesn’t mean I’m any less your friend. And, as a friend, I still have a couple of birthday gifts to make up for.” I smiled weakly, trying to make it into less of a deal that it was, pretending it didn’t mean something to me.
“We should get going, the taxi’s outside,” Rian came up to us and said. I knew he’d drawn the short straw and been made to talk to us as I watched everyone else file out without looking back. I nodded and grabbed my coat before heading to the door.